Machine for producing striped knitted fabric



No. 620,035. Patented Feb. 2|, I899. 'P. HOFFMAN.

MACHINE FDR PRODUCING STBIPED KNITTED FABRIC.

(Application Mai Feb. 28, 1898.)

(no Model.) a Sheds-Sheet L F1 a. i

u I H No. 620,035; Patented Fab. 2|, i899.

' P. HUFFMAN.

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING STRIPED KNITTED FABRIC.

(Application filed Feb. 2a, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-sheaf 2 FIG. 3.

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Patented Feb. 21, 1899.

P. HOFFMAN. I MACHINE FDR PBODUCIN TED FABRIC.-

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(In Model.)

UNITED. STATES PATENT FFICE.

PHILIP HOFFMAN, OFPIIILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING STRIPED KNITTED FABRIC.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,035, dated February21, 1899.

Application filed February 28, 1898. Serial No. 672,026. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may con/00W Be it known that I, PHILIP HOFFMAN, a citizenof the United States, residingin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Producing Striped KnittedFabric, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a knitted fabric havingtransverse stripes formed by striping-yarn interposed upon the mainknitting-yarn, an object which I attain in the manner hereinafter setforth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichvFigure 1 is a view representing the appearance of a piece of stripedfabric made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a diagramillustrating the disposition of the yarns. Fig. 3 is a side view ofsuflicient of a knittingmachine to illustrate the mechanism employed incarrying out my invention. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view of thefrictional clamping-plate. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of certain camsforming part of said mechanism. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of apattern-Wheel for governing the adjustment of said cams, and Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the lower portion of the cam-adjusting device.

In producing a knitted fabric in accordance with my invention I use anordinary circularknitting machine having a guide which continually feedsto the needles of the machine one or more strands of knitting-yarn toproduce a continuous tubular web of knitted fabric, and in connectionwith this main guide I employ one or more supplementary and adjustableguides carrying an extra yarn or yarns, either of which may by properadjustment be caused to feed its yarn to the needles along with thestrand or strands from the main guide and in such relation to the latterthat the supplementary yarn will always appear upon the face of thefabric. Hence when the supplementary yarn-guide is out of action thefabric will be produced from the strand or strands delivered by the mainyarnguard; but when the supplementary guide is thrown into operation thestitches produced by the main knitting-yarn will be overlaid by thesupplementary yarn, which will appear upon the face of the fabric andordinary form of circular-knitting machine;

but I use in connection with the main yarnguide of the machine, which inFig. 3 is represented at 3, one or more supplementary yarn-guides, oneof'such yarn-guides being 'shown at 3, said supplementary guide beingcarried by a lever 4, which is hung at 5 to a bracket 6, applied to arotating element of the machine-such, for instance, as the rotatingcam-box 6said lever having an ad justable set-screw 7, which by contactwith a finger 9 serves to limit the descent of the long arm of the leverand the approach of the guide 3 toward the needles of the knittingcylinder. The lever 4 is of the bell-crank variety, and its dependingshort arm carries an antifriction-roller 10, which is adapted to beacted upon by either of two cams 11 and 12, both of which are carried bya head 13, secured to the upper end of a rod 14, which is mounted in abracket 15 on the fixed frame, so as to be vertically movable therein,the lower end of said rod 14 being adapted to be acted upon by apattern-wheel 16, which is intended to be rotated from any availablemoving part of the machine.

The lower end of the rod 14 is cut away, so as to form a narrowprojecting finger 14?, upon which the pattern-wheel 16 acts, so that thelength of the lugs and recesses of the pattern-wheel can be much lessthan they would have to be if the full diameter of the rod bore uponsaid pattern-wheel. Hence a wheel of comparatively small diameter willefiect all of the changes in pattern ordinarily required.

The cams 11 and 12 bear such relation to each other and to theantifriction-roller 10 of the lever 4 that when the rod 14 is depressedthe cam 11 will act upon said antifrictionroller 10 and cause thedepression of the inner end of the lever 4, so as to bring its guide 3into operative or feeding relation to the needles of the machine, thecam 12, under these circumstances, being below the antifriction-roller10, and hence out of the path of the same as the latter rotates with therotating portion of the machine upon which it is mounted. lVhen the rod14 is raised, however, the eam 12 acts upon the antifrictionroller 10 ofthe lever 4 and serves to lift the inner end of-said lever, so as tocarry its guide 3 out of operative relation with the needles of theknitting-machine, in which position the lever may be retained by anysuitable means such, for instance, as a pair of friction clamping-arms17 and 19, mounted upon the bracket 6 and embracing the long arm of thelever, as shown in Fig. 3. Hence it will be seen that by a properconformation of the patternwheel 16 the striping-thread can beintroduced into the fabric at any desired point and for any desirednumber of courses of stitches.

To the lower end of the rod 14 is secured a head 20, having a shoe 21,and when it is desired to hold the striping-thread guide out of actionfor any considerable period of time without regard to the action of thepatternwheel 16as, for instance, in forming the foot of a stocking orother unstriped portion of fabric of considerable extent-said shoe 21may be acted upon by high links on the pattern-chain with which anordinary automatic circular knitting machine is usually provided, suchchain running upon a sprocketwheel alongside of the pattern-wheel 16, asshown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. By this means the reduced lower end ofthe rod 14 will be held above the periphery of the pattern-wheel 16 andwill not be acted upon thereby.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1. The combination of a knitting-machine having apermanent guide for continuously feeding the main knitting-yarn to theneedles, a supplementary guide mounted so as to be movable directly infront of or away from said permanent guide so as to introduce into someof the courses a continuous striping-yarn which overlies the mainknitting-yarn on the surface of the fabric, and floats on the back ofthe fabric when not in use, and provision for operating saidsupplementary yarn-guide, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a circular-knitting machine having a permanentmain yarnguide for feeding the yarn continuously to the needles, asupplementary guide movable in front of and away from said permanentguide for feeding striping-yarn to the needles, a lever carrying saidguide, cams adapted to act alternately upon said lever so as to move itsguide into and out of operative relation with the needles, means foroperating said cams, and a friction-retainer consisting of a pair ofplates one of which is elastic and between which the lever plays,whereby they serve to hold the lever in the elevated position,substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a circular-knitting machine having a mainyarn-guide, a supplementary guide for feeding striping-yarn to theneedles,a lever carrying said guide,means for operating the same so asto move its guide into and out of operative relation with the needles, aretainer for holding said lever in the elevated position, and anadjustable stop for limiting the descent of the lever, substantially asspecified.

4. The combination of a circular-knitting machine having a mainyarn-guide, a supplementary guide for feeding a striping-yarn to theneedles, a guided rod, and mechanism whereby the movement of said rod iscaused to move said striping-yarn guide into and out of operativerelation with the needles, a pattern-wheel for acting on said rod, and ashoe connected to the rod and serving as a means whereby a pattern-chainmay lift the rod out of the control of the pattern-wheel, substantiallyas specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

PHILIP HOFFMAN.

\Vitnesses:

CHAs. H. BANNARD, WILL. A. BARR.

